The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-21
ROUTING A WASHER.
A Story of Modern Life, the Scene Be
ing Laid in New York Horse Car.

AAOA
From the Ne,o York Sun.
There were only six persons in street car
that was rafting lazily along up town the
other afternoon. There wasn't even cigar
cite smoker on the front platform to arouse
the social instincts of the driver and the
conductor, little man, with a flannel band
round his neck, who leaned back ON the
brake handle and looked disinterestedly at
the messenger boy inside, who was vigor-
ously chewing gum and reading a half
dime edition Of ''Hair-lipped Dick, or the
Terror of the Lohunga Gorge" Next to the
boy sat young lady of pleasing appear
ance. she was calculated to attract atten-
ton from her neat little bonnet, with its
aigretteS nodding wantonly among the
olive MORE ribbons, down to the little kid
encased feet resting lightly on the wooden
mating. The effect of her dress and its
several fashionable attachments was
iridescent and dazzling. To add to this, she
had pretty face. Her black eyes, though
well behaved had no timidity in their
glances, and helped to make up the dazzling
entirety.
The car stopped and man got on Robust,
well dressed, well jewelled, and well along
in life was he He looked a prosperous
merchant, a club man, lone of the boys
looking. He was evidently one of those
valuable individuals who had done the same
thing before, though not at the same girl.
His hrs got into that peculiar preparatory
attitude so often noticed in Washers, so that
if the girl should rest her eyes on him for a
moment the lips could jump quickly into a
smile of an interrogatory nature.
The girls black eyes, in their prances from
this object to that, lit on the mans face
ot1n or fyyipo nOlU fO dart indiUOa 1ltlN "
away. But he kept looking, and she was
evidently aware of it,
Suddenly she shifted her position bit, so
as to squarely confront him, and, bending
forward slightly, began gazing at his feet
1t was a curious, almost myStified look that
took possession of her pretty face. The man
looked startled, bent forward, and looked at
his feet, which were all that a well-dressed
man could ask for in app arance. He looked
at the girl again. She was still manifesting
curious interest in his Shoes She even
shifted her dainty form again, and looked
harder still at his feet until the man drew
them in bit. Still she looked. Again the
man himself looked at them, and then
while she seemed more puzzled than ever
over them, he looked absolutely puzzled
over her, He was evidently getting I'M
comfortable, and his lips lost that peculiar
preparatory attitude and were in no danger
Of breaking into sn'ile. He drew his feet
in still more, showed them out, and looked
at them while she showed symptoms of
terror; then he drew them back till his
heels were plump against the woodwork
under the seat.
At this impressive moment, that Ameri-
can trait whereby when person stops and
looks at anything every one who notices the
act stops and looks too, although t. ere is
nothing in particular to see, began to make
it still further uncomfortable for the
masher An elderly lady who sat a little
distance from the man, and who noticed
how mystified the dazzling young woman
seemed to be over something in the direction
of the mans feet, adjusted her glasses and
looked down too. She of course saw moth
ing but the highly polished shoes, but the
man got very uneasy, and drew his feet
under sideways as far as he could, while he
tried to look calmly out of the window. The
lady at the end of the car, seeing her neigh
bors puzzled over something, bent way for
ward and looked sidelong at the mans feet
He drew them clear in till they rested
awkwardly on the toes. The iridescent
young lady was gazing at them as hard as
ever. The only creature IN the car who had
not gazed in that direction was the messen-
ger boy, who was now chewing his gum in
spasms of activity, for he had got to where
Hair-lipped Dick was riding wild mustang
over perilous mountain track to save
the beautiful young heroine of Tohunga
Gorge from two painted Apaches
The car stopped and another young lady
of fashion got in. She knew the iridescent
young lady, and the latter whispered some
thing in her ear, and both began looking
hard, very hard at the mans feet.
1t was more than he could stand. He got
up and stepped quickly and awkwardly off
the car. The girls looked at each other and
smiled.
The woman nearly opposite leaned for
ward and asked in an undertone; "Say,
what was the matterg
'Oh, nothing, said the iridescent girl,
with charming frankness. "The big goose
tried to fiirt with me, and l simply got him
out of the way by looking at his feet. That
will always make them get out Of the way.
No man can stand it. don't sit still and let
men keep gazing impudently and insuItingly
at me. No girl need to. Just look at their
feet. THEY'LL GO"
As soon as the prosperous-looking masher
got off the car he climbed into a bootblacks
chair. The bootblack looked surprised, for
the shoes were already highly polished.
''Do you see anything the matter with
themr asked the man
''No, boss, nothing the matter"
sWell, here's dime for your opinion
and he walked off, asking himself what that
demned pretty girl was looking at.